


I wouldn't wish this

by Septic_wolf



Series: Darkness follows you [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Boys Find Out, Gen, Immortal!Bruce, Meta!Bruce, No Damian right now, bullet wounds, group hug, maybe later - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26437330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Septic_wolf/pseuds/Septic_wolf
Summary: The first time Bruce dies in front of the League members, he expected them to not react like he'd actually died.
Series: Darkness follows you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908796
Comments: 8
Kudos: 92





	I wouldn't wish this

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the first fic of this series before going past this point. :)

It hadn’t been Bruce’s intention to avoid the topic this long. When he’d returned to the manor there was an emergency call in the cave. Joker had appeared, finally. Laughing gas, and bombs. The works when it came to the clown prince of crime. But that had been about a week’s worth of sleepless nights. Not that Bruce noticed, he seemed to have awakened something in himself that made sleep only an option. He’d never felt better.

Then there was a League emergency, one that he was currently on and had been on for about a month. The boys had messaged, asked how it was going, gave updates about Gotham. The only rogue that emerged from Arkham was Ivy, and she hadn’t taken long to capture according to Dick’s message. _“Super easy, found her really quick cause she overgrew one of her plants and hadn’t been ready for us.”_ It was comforting to know that because none of them had interacted much meant that none of the boys were very upset with him at the moment. Even Jason had sent a few messages, told him about some of the Crime Alley folks wishing the Bat luck on his mission with the League, though they didn’t specifically say the league… Bruce thought it kind of the people of Gotham anyways. It was likely good wishes from children anyways, they tended to like the Bat and Red Hood the most when they both patrolled there.

As for the mission, the League had been called away off-planet to handle some civil war discussions. Not that they were needed for fighting, but to ensure that peace agreements could be made without someone trying to start up fights again. Everything was going swimmingly.

Nope.

Bruce cursed when he heard the telltale signs of a bullet whizzing through the air. He’d reacted instantly, pushing one of the leaders out of the way and feeling a stinging pain rip through a small hole in his armor that Bruce was not going to like explaining to Alfred later. It wasn’t like Bruce could prepare for other world's guns like he could Earth guns. Different material.

“Batman!” He heard Superman’s worried voice rise through the sea of growing voices. Most of the people there were trying to figure out who’d fired, which side was responsible. Diana was attempting to calm them down while Superman helped Batman to the floor. J’onn was at the Dark Knights side shortly after. He was attempting to stop the blood flow, trying to keep him from bleeding out. Bruce hissed at the pressure that J’onn was instructing Superman to put on the wound. 

“I will need to take off his armor to get the bullet out. There is a med bay this way.” J’onn pointed in a direction that Bruce couldn’t see. Superman picked Bruce up in that second and hurried after the Martian, much to the annoyance of the Dark Knight. He wished he had passed out instead.

In the med bay, or what Bruce assumed to be it (there was a green wall that seemed to be more fitting for a grandmother’s sewing room), he was gently set down. The table wasn’t cold, not like the one in the Batcave. _This place cares about comfort._ It was a passing thought as he blinked slowly, stared at the wall, wondered what sort of art the wall would look decent with. He was drifting, not really listening. _Shock._ That pulled Bruce back to the present, to the stinging in his side, J’onn’s hurried voice that was usually monotoned and without much emotion. “It’s not stopping.”

_Not stopping…_ That wasn’t a good sign. Bruce would ask about it, but his eyes were still sluggishly blinking, and talking didn’t sound so easy. “What do you mean, J’onn? He’s been fine after getting shot before, we just need to get it out.”

“From an Earth weapon, a gun, actual bullets. These species bullets are lined with poison, and apparently a substance that keeps the human body from keeping blood from clotting.” J’onn stood, hands down on the table and eyes seeing through a thousand yards. “Batman is dying.”

Bruce nearly choked, felt tears prick his eyes. Death by a bullet wound… A bullet wound. Just like… Bruce clasped his eyes closed. He didn’t want to think about it, he could still hear them from that night. “I won’t accept that! Surely, they have a cure for this, surely this-”

“They are immune to the poison; thus, they will not have an antidote. This reaction can only be brought upon creatures that are not like them.” J’onn’s voice was starting to sound more distant. “We must take him back to Earth, it is only just.” Bruce felt he needed to agree with J’onn. _His boy’s… They needed to know it was real._

When Bruce woke it was in a dark room. There wasn’t anything significant other than a few chairs and a small table that had a deck of cards on it. Open. The Bat sat up slowly, surveying the room, and stretched slightly so as to wake his muscles in case he needed a quick out. _Where is the League?_ For the most part, Bruce knew that he was in the medical area of the Watchtower.

Slowly Bruce brought his legs over the edge of the bed, feeling like they were lead weights. His body was heavy. Very heavy. He put his feet to the ground and attempted to stand. An alarm sounded, though not in his room, but outside. _Pressure sensor?_ Shortly afterward there was a loud stomping of feet outside of his room.

Pushing in Bruce stared at his three boys, plus the league founders. All of whom were staring at him like he’d been meant to still be dead to the world. _Because you are meant to be dead._ Bruce blinked, recalling the bullet wound he’d gotten and looked at his side.

There wasn’t anything there except for a small scar.

He glanced up again at the group. It seemed to dawn on the league why Bruce was awake, all looking a little sheepish. _They’d forgotten._ It wasn’t all that much of a surprise to Bruce if he were being honest. To say your immortal and to actually return from the dead were two completely different things. _This is my first time dying in front of them and coming back…_

Bruce stared at them for a long time before the smallest voice broke from one of his boys, “B-B?” He snapped his head towards them. They seemed to be looking at Bruce as if he was not really there. A ghost. A man whom they had been told was dead. Shot by some punk with a gun.

“Hello, Nightwing.” Bruce murmured, taking note of the costume that his eldest was wearing. _Had they been on patrol when they were called? How had Jason reacted? Was Alfred..?_ It was likely that Alfred was waiting at home, none too worried about Bruce’s “dying” episode, as the older gentlemen had admitted to calling them. It was the only way he could stand to wait by Bruce’s side to return to the land of the living.

After a small beat of silence, all three of the boys were running at him, and Bruce got his first real good look at the ceiling. There was a stain from water damage. _How?_ “Clark said that you’d been shot and poisoned. He made it sound like you were dead and we came here from Gotham as soon as we could.” Tim explained from his wrapped position around Bruce’s waist. Dick had taken to his torso, and Jason had wrapped a hand around his wrist, not much of a hugger. But Bruce knew that he could coax one out of him if he found him alone later.

“Seems no poisoned bullet can keep you down, Old man.” Jason’s filtered voice from his helmet sounded rough, and Bruce had no doubts his boys had been close to tears when they actually got here. Had they seen him on this bed? Not breathing, or moving? Believing the words of that big boy scout that an immortal man was capable of dying?

_I didn’t tell them._

The realization hit Bruce like Bane’s punch to his stomach. His boys didn’t know that he… The Bat looked to his eldest, who was slightly shaking into Bruce’s chest. _How will they take it? Will they hate me?_ Bruce glanced at the founders, all who were watching the display with some degree of embarrassment and softness. It wasn’t often that Bruce showed any sort of humanity in front of them. His boys brought that out in him.

“Could we have a moment?” Bruce asked the League members, and slowly they each filled out of the room. Likely just outside.

When the door shut behind them Bruce sat up, each of the boys backing away. Though Dick was still close enough to sit on the bed with him, toes touching Bruce’s calf. Tim wasn’t looking anywhere but Bruce, almost looking over him to make sure he was alright. “Boys, I have something that… I have been meaning to tell you.” Bruce felt the cliché in his voice. _It’s like I’m telling them I’m dating someone._ Jason’s snort was answer enough to how awkward the statement was coming from their father figure.

“What’s up B? Figure out something about your mission?” Dick’s smile came easy to his face, as if he hadn’t been close to losing Bruce just a few moments before.

“No… I have realized that I had forgotten to inform you about a new _development._ Something that I had only become aware of in the past month or so.” Now he had their attention. It made Bruce’s mouth go dry. “I’m currently _Immortal._ ”

He supposed that their collective reaction was good to note. Jason had cursed, cussed, called out, and yelled until Dick was able to calm him down. Tim was just staring at Bruce, mouth open. He was sure a fly had emerged from somewhere and flew in and out within that time. Dick, for the most part, seemed to almost relax further. Like this was something that he’d almost wish had been a fact from the very beginning. _Of course, it would be. He’d already lost one set of parents._

When Jason was sitting again, this time with his helmet off. They all turned to him, and one by one asked him question after question.

“How did you realize this?”

He died.

“What demon did your parents talk to?”

Don’t know.

“Is there some time limit on this?” 

Doesn’t seem like it.

And it went on like that until Superman emerged from the door again and asked if J’onn could check Bruce over again. He allowed the Martian in, but the boys stayed. They watched J’onn like hawks until he gave the all-clear to the immortal man. Bruce quickly dressed in his gear and the four of them set off for home.

“Hey B, you think if you ever have kids that they’ll inherit this?” Tim’s question came from his left, Dick having taken up his right and Jason trailed them.

“I don’t know Tim, but this information brings to light that I may at some point in my life decide to test that theory.” There was a small chuckle from Jason, but Tim seemed to just shrug. Answer good enough they walked in silence to the zeta beam. Clark and Hal were there, talking in low voices until the Bat’s appeared.

Clark smiled at them, but Hal was weary. He looked at Bruce like he was some… oddity. Bruce ignored the look and nodded to Clark as he put in the address for home. “I’ll come back later, I still need to write up my report for the mission and-”

“We’ll handle it here, Batman. Go be with the boys and we’ll send you what we need later. Enjoy your family.” Clark’s grin made Bruce look away, focus on the screen in front of him. _Enjoy your family._ Bruce felt like that was something he could do now. That he could… There were still things that they needed to talk about, there were still situations and questions that Bruce needed answers to that pertained to him. _The demonic thing was still a big concern._ But for now, he felt that he could let it all sit in the back of his mind. His boys hadn’t run off, they were actually closer to him now.

And Bruce was okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

> More immortal Bruce, I may add on more to this one later on. If I do , I will make a note about it. No need to worry. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> If there something that needs fixed let me know and I will get on it. :)
> 
> Leave a Kudos and comment, I appreciate feedback!


End file.
